Precious Metals Refining & Seller Terms for DavidSouri.com
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern the submission, processing, and settlement of precious metals (“Material”) by any individual or entity (“Customer,” “you”) to Aurora Gold and Silver, LLC (“Aurora,” “we,” “us”). By submitting Material to Aurora, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety.
Aurora accepts gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in most common forms, including but not limited to jewelry, dental gold, coins, bars, and scrap.
There is no minimum weight or value requirement. Aurora accepts lots of all sizes.
Customers (“Sellers”) must contact Aurora before shipping to receive proper instructions and an approved, insured shipping label. Aurora receives Seller shipments at a designated commercial receiving location provided to approved Sellers. The current designated shipping address is:
Upon receipt, Aurora will log the Material, assign a Lot ID, and confirm receipt with the Seller.
Important: Do not ship materials directly to Aurora’s Benton Street notice address (1 E Benton St #104, Aurora, IL 60505). Unauthorized shipments sent to the Benton Street notice address may be refused or returned at the sender’s expense. See Section 2 for complete shipping, packaging, and insurance terms.
By submitting Material, Customer affirms lawful ownership of all items submitted and represents that no third party holds a lien, claim, or security interest in the Material. Customer agrees to indemnify and hold Aurora harmless from any claims arising from disputed ownership.
Sellers may ship using Aurora-provided insured labels or their own carrier labels.
If the Seller ships with their own label, Aurora assumes no responsibility for loss, damage, or delay during transit. The Seller bears full responsibility for insurance and proper packaging.
Sellers using Aurora’s insured FedEx label (including via QR code) agree to the following:
Coverage (when applicable) applies from FedEx acceptance to signed delivery at Aurora’s designated commercial address.
Insurance does not cover losses due to insufficient packaging, unauthorized shipping methods, or drop-offs at unauthorized locations. Drop-offs at unmanned drop boxes and third-party collection points are prohibited and may void coverage.
Each submission is assigned a unique Lot ID and moves through the following stages:
Material is logged, weighed, and queued for the next melt day (typically the next business day after receipt). At this stage, Aurora records the pre-melt weight in grams.
Material is processed and the post-process weight is recorded. The lot undergoes XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) assay to determine exact purity and metal content. Any weight difference between the pre-melt and post-process weight (melt loss) is clearly itemized. The bid is issued the evening of the melt day after market close, using the bid price sourced from DavidSouri.com.
Once melt weight and XRF assay are complete, Aurora locks the spot price, applies the agreed Pay Rate, calculates any applicable deductions, and issues a Binding Bid Statement to the Customer. The bid is not an estimate. See Section 5 for bid and pricing terms.
Upon the Customer’s acceptance of the bid, payment is issued via the Customer’s selected payment method. A final Invoice / Settlement Receipt is provided confirming the transaction. This is the terminal status for standard lots.
Certain lots may follow an alternative path in which Material is first visually inspected and verified before entering the standard melt process. Aurora determines at its sole discretion whether a lot requires the inspection path based on the nature of the Material submitted.
Aurora makes reasonable efforts to process lots promptly and pays by the third (3rd) business day in most cases. Aurora does not guarantee specific turnaround times.
Aurora updates Customers by email or phone at each stage of the lifecycle. Customers may also contact Aurora at any time for a status update.
Submitted Material may be melted, liquidated, or otherwise processed by any means at Aurora’s sole discretion. Processing methods include, but are not limited to, induction furnace melting, and non-destructive methods such as XRF assay combined with scale weight. Processing is irreversible. By submitting Material, Customer consents to the processing and assay of all items in the lot by whatever method Aurora deems appropriate.
The difference between pre-melt weight and post-melt weight is melt loss. Melt loss is a normal, expected part of the refining process and varies by material type and composition. In karat gold, melt loss is commonly caused by the vaporization of zinc and other base metals with low boiling points during induction furnace melting. Aurora’s induction furnace does not reach temperatures high enough to vaporize gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. Melt loss is clearly itemized on all statements and invoices.
Purity is determined by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis, a non-destructive and highly accurate testing method. The XRF result determines the percentage of pure metal content (e.g., 24kt gold equivalent) in the processed material.
Aurora’s XRF assay results are final and binding for purposes of calculating the payout. Aurora uses industry-standard, calibrated equipment and stands behind the accuracy of its assay results.
The “Spot Bid” is Aurora’s internal bid price per troy ounce, sourced from DavidSouri.com and locked at market close (approximately 4:00–5:00 PM CT) on the melt day. The Spot Bid is derived from the prevailing market price for the applicable metal but is set at Aurora’s sole discretion. The Spot Bid is final and binding once locked.
The Pay Rate is the percentage of the gross spot value paid to the Customer. The Pay Rate is agreed upon between Aurora and the Customer and is stated on all bid statements and invoices.
The payout for each lot is calculated as follows:
All intermediate values are disclosed on the Customer’s bid statement and invoice.
Once a bid is issued, it constitutes a binding offer from Aurora at the locked payout amount. The Binding Bid Statement reflects the final agreed price based on verified melt weight and XRF assay. Bids are not estimates and are not subject to change after issuance.
By accepting a bid, the Customer agrees to the stated payout amount and selected payment method. Aurora reserves the right to retain Material until the bid is formally accepted by the Customer.
Once a bid is locked, neither party may request a price adjustment based on subsequent market movement. The locked Spot Bid is final regardless of changes in the market price after the lock date.
The following fees may be deducted from the Customer’s payout, as applicable. All deductions are clearly itemized on the Customer’s invoice.
Fees are assessed based on the Customer’s selected payment method. Current fee schedule:
Aurora reserves the right to adjust payment processing fees with reasonable notice. Updated fees will be posted at AuroraGoldShop.com/terms-of-service.
If Aurora incurs shipping costs on the Customer’s behalf (e.g., for prepaid shipping labels or insured inbound shipping), those costs may be deducted from the payout.
When a Customer requests a Diamond Retrieval Lot (return of diamonds or stones extracted from submitted Material), a Diamond Return Fee starting at $80.00 per lot applies. This fee covers handling, sorting, and return shipping of retrieved stones.
All applicable fees are disclosed prior to or at the time the bid is issued. Aurora will not assess undisclosed fees after the bid is locked.
Before a bid is locked, the Customer may elect to “pool” their refined metal — meaning Aurora holds the Customer’s payable troy ounces (24kt equivalent) on account rather than issuing immediate payment.
When a Customer elects the pool option, Aurora issues a Pool Statement confirming the total gold on account (in payable OZT, 24kt equivalent), the lot details, and the Customer’s options going forward.
Pooled metal carries no spot lock. The Customer may contact Aurora to request a spot lock no later than 3:00 PM Central Time on the day they wish to lock. The lock will be executed during that day’s market close window (approximately 4:00–5:00 PM CT). Requests received after 3:00 PM CT will be processed on the next business day.
Pooled metal is held on account for thirty (30) days at a time. The pool option is intended as a short-term service. At the end of each 30-day period, the Customer may elect to continue holding for an additional 30-day period, lock a spot price and receive payment, or make other arrangements with Aurora. Aurora reserves the right to require settlement of pooled metal that has been held beyond a reasonable period.
Once a lot has reached the bid phase and a Binding Bid Statement has been issued, the pool option is no longer available for that lot. The Customer’s only option at that point is to accept the locked bid and receive payment.
Aurora offers the following payment methods:
At Aurora’s sole discretion and subject to availability and transaction limits, alternative payment methods such as Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, or Apple Pay may be offered on a case-by-case basis. Aurora does not guarantee the availability of alternative payment methods for any transaction.
Payment is issued promptly upon the Customer’s acceptance of the bid and selection of a payment method. Aurora is not responsible for delays caused by the Customer’s financial institution.
Once payment is issued, the transaction is final and closed. The Invoice / Settlement Receipt serves as confirmation of payment in full.
Upon payment, Aurora issues a final Invoice / Settlement Receipt to the Customer. The invoice includes: Customer name, Lot ID(s), melt date, statement date, payout method, date paid, transaction or reference number, and a complete line-item breakdown of weights, assay results, pricing, and deductions.
All invoices display the full payout formula and intermediate calculation values so the Customer can independently verify the payout amount.
Aurora retains copies of all statements and invoices. Customers are encouraged to retain their own copies for tax and record-keeping purposes.
Any dispute regarding a payout, invoice, or settlement must be raised within five (5) business days of the date paid by contacting info@auroragoldshop.com. Disputes raised after this period may not be honored.
Aurora reserves the right to correct clerical or calculation errors on any statement or invoice. If a correction results in a material change to the payout amount, Aurora will notify the Customer and work in good faith to resolve any discrepancy.
Aurora is committed to resolving all disputes promptly and in good faith. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, the parties agree to pursue resolution in accordance with Section 13.
Aurora exercises reasonable care in handling Customer Material. However, Aurora’s total liability for loss of or damage to Material shall not exceed the fair market value of the Material as determined by Aurora’s standard assay and pricing process.
In no event shall Aurora be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from or related to these Terms or the processing of Material, including but not limited to lost profits or opportunity costs from market fluctuations.
Aurora shall not be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, equipment failure, utility outages, or government actions.
By submitting Material to Aurora, the Customer represents and warrants that:
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Kane County, Illinois, and the parties hereby consent to personal jurisdiction and venue therein.
Aurora reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be posted at AuroraGoldShop.com/terms-of-service. Continued submission of Material after the posting of updated Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Material already in process at the time of a modification will be governed by the Terms in effect at the time of submission.
All prices and payouts stated by Aurora exclude applicable taxes. The Customer is solely responsible for any tax obligations arising from the sale of precious metals, including but not limited to income tax, capital gains tax, and sales tax where applicable. Aurora does not provide tax advice.
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
These Terms, together with any Binding Bid Statement, Pool Statement, or Invoice / Settlement Receipt issued by Aurora, constitute the entire agreement between Aurora and the Customer with respect to the processing and settlement of precious metals. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a specific statement or invoice, the terms of the specific document shall control with respect to that transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pricing for melt transactions is locked following melt at market close on the melt day, and this pricing term supersedes any general provision to the contrary.
For questions, disputes, or status updates: